HUDSON – Upon arriving in America from Puerto Rico ten months ago, simple tasks such as ordering food at a restaurant were an insurmountable challenge for Hudson High School’s John Rodriguez.

"I didn’t understand anything," said Rodriguez, who only spoke Spanish when arriving in the states in July.

Just 10 months after joining the high school’s English Language Learner program, Rodriguez has developed English language and writing skills that have given him the confidence to meet new friends and even stand in front of a crowded classroom and talk about his life.

Rodriguez, who credited his success to countless hours of practice at home and in the classroom, and his fellow students in Emily Smyth’s ELL shared their experiences from the past year and showcased their rapidly increasing English skills by reciting poems, performing songs and speaking about their lives to their parents and community members during Thursday’s third annual English Language Learner ceremony at the high school.

The ceremony highlights the students' accomplishments over the past year, said Smyth.

Aakash Patel, who speaks Hindi and Gujarati, said Thursday’s ceremony was a great opportunity to show how far the students' development has come.

"We see students progress and how they’ve improved their skills," said Patel, a native of India.

Though many of the students did not speak the same language upon entering the program, they have formed a community of encouragement and friendships during the past year.

"Because they’ve all shared similar experiences of being outsiders they’re all welcoming of each other," said Smyth.

Mateus Andrade, a native of Brazil whose first language is Portuguese, said his classmates encouraged him to better his English-speaking skills, making it easier for him to meet friends and connect with other students.

"When I got here I always thought I wasn’t going to learn English," he said.

Although Steve Kinsey, a native of France, initially had difficulties picking up the English language, he did not let his struggles stop him from joining other classmates on a trip to Germany earlier this year or performing a poem Thursday night.

"For me, it was hard," said Kinsey, whose first language is French. "I didn’t have anybody to speak to. It’s getting easier now. There’s still room for improvement."

Smith’s students advised other English Language Learners to work at their craft, make friends, believe in themselves and never give up.

"If you don’t believe in yourself you won’t be able to do anything," said Andrade.

Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.